The President of the Republic stated today, in answer to questions from journalists, hat the situation in Portugal in the context of the covid-19 pandemic is “far from the pre-rupture or rupture scenarios” of the National Health Service (SNS), with a downward trend in the number of deaths.

At the end of the meeting with specialists to assess the epidemiological situation of covid-19 in Portugal, at Infarmed (Lisbon), the head of state explained that at “today’s long meeting there was, among others, a reflection on the results of the de-confinement carried out in three stages in the country”.

“The current reality shows that there has not been an increase in terms of trends of deaths, there is a relatively stable downward trend; with regard to hospitalized or intensive care patients, there has been a slight increase in recent days, in recent weeks, in a trend that is of stabilization of the decrease, far from the scenarios of pre-rupture or rupture as would happen in a scenario of doubling the number of those infected because of the de-confinements,” he argued.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also underlined that a comparative analysis was made with other countries, both in terms of the effects of the de-confinement and the number of tests performed.

“Portugal is in the group of five countries that have carried out the most tests per 100,000 inhabitants, which is not indifferent when comparing the number of infected”, he stressed.

The head of state pointed out that “there are countries that have a fifth, a fourth, or 60%” of the number of tests carried out in Portugal, “which have been increasing in these periods of de-confinement”.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa admitted that the complete effects of the de-confinement will only be visible “at the end of June, throughout July and perhaps in August”, recalling, nevertheless, that “it has been quite a while since the first de-confinement, at the beginning of May, a reasonable time in relation to the second, on May 18, and well over 14 days over the third, on June 1”.

“The predicted scenarios were many, some more positive, some less positive and some very worrying both in terms of deaths and pressure for the SNS,” he stressed.

In the analysis of the effects of the de-confinement in other European countries, it was found, according to the Head of State, that “practically all” have the rate of transmission of the virus ” either above 1 or below, but very close to 1″, and revealed that in Portugal this indicator (the R) is currently at 1.08.

The President of the Republic again stressed the importance of the “responsibility of each Portuguese” at this stage and recalled the “obvious concern that always preceded the measures taken, to safeguard life and health”.

“Looking at the evolution of the number of deaths, fortunately a favourable evolution, looking at the pressure on the SNS, until now without situations of stress or pre-stress”, he stressed.

The President of the Republic, Prime Minister and party leaders met today with experts to assess the epidemiological situation of covid-19 in Portugal, focusing on the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, where most new cases have emerged.

This was the ninth technical meeting held at Infarmed – National Authority for Medicines and Health Products, in Lisbon, at the Prime Minister’s initiative, to share information, and another meeting has already been scheduled for 15 days from now.